Go to as many wine tastings as you can. These events can help you get out of your wine comfort zones. It is a great social gathering. Invite friends and family to enjoy the wine with you. If you have a large group, consider splitting the cost of a limousine.

Never cook with a wine that you do not enjoy the flavor of. When wine cooks down during the cooking process, it concentrates. Any flavors that you do not like will be more prevalent, which means you will not like the taste of the food you have worked so hard to prepare.

Attend wine tastings! Wine tastings are events that allow you to try out different types of wines for a lower cost. You can even make it a social event. Invite others that also enjoy wine to come with you. You'll have a great time while building your relationship.

Try one of the many discussion forums about wine online. There are some great ones out there, and they are a wonderful place to interact with others and get ideas on which wines are worth exploring. Be sure you do look at the rules of the forum and what it's like before joining.

Swirling is part of tasting wine. Make the circular motion necessary from your elbow rather than your wrist. Doing so will enable you to smell the wine, enhancing the flavor of it as well. Making the motion just using the wrist is difficult and often will not have the desired effect.

Left over wine is wonderful for cooking. When you're down to the bottom of the bottle, do not throw it out. Instead, reseal the bottle and save it for your next meal. You can use the wine to make a sauce for pasta, flavor meat or add to your special stew recipe.

If you are dining out with work colleagues and trying to impress the boss, try to arrive at the table first and order a bottle of wine to be delivered upon your guest's arrival. This will really make it look like you know your wines. Avoiding a wait time for the bottle can also enhance the evening for everyone.

For a spring picnic, evening at the race track or other outdoor events during seasonable weather, your best bet is a sparkling wine. Take your pick of bubbly's like a nice Asti or Champagne and complement it with mild cheese, fresh bread and fruit. Remember to bring flute glasses too, to make the experience complete.

The body of a wine is a great way to pair it with a dish. The "body" of a wine refers to how substantial the wine is. It often also correlates with the alcohol content, with fuller-bodied wine containing more alcohol than a lighter wine. Heavier dishes should be paired with a full-bodied wine, as a lighter wine runs the risk of tasting watery when paired with something like a hearty steak.

If you are visiting wineries, purchase wine directly from the winery if the winery is a smaller production business. These businesses typically do not sell to retailers and that makes it more difficult to find them on the supermarket shelves. Larger production businesses almost always sell to retailers, and oftentimes for a better price than you can buy directly from the winery at.

As you know, how you chill your wine can affect the taste as well as the aroma. However, wine is best served cold before a special occasion. Store the bottle of wine in a bucket filled with ice. This will chill the bottle in thirty minutes and it will be ready for serving.

Learn how to read the label to make sure you get exactly what you want with a particular wine. More modern wines have labels that clearly describe the flavor and composition of the contents, whereas old country makers are vague and leave you guessing. Pick up a handy guide to bring with you and be guaranteed of getting a wine you'll enjoy!

Don't stick to the old rules about which color wine goes with which food. Color is not as important as taste. There are some red wines, like certain pinot noirs, that taste great with fish. Other times, you may find a white wine complements your steak better than a red.

It should be stated, that you aren't going to become a wine connoisseur overnight. However, if you implement the advice mentioned in the article above, you will be well on your way towards understanding the differences between many wines. Before long, you will be an expert in the field of wine.